Neapolitan Riviera holidays - travel guide - activities & sights

The Sorrento peninsula is a great place for walkers with many trails to follow. Your efforts are usually rewarded by spectacular views across the Bay. While youÕre here why not take the ferry to Ischia and sample the wilder scenery that dominates the north of this beautiful island?

With its air of elegance and sophistication, Sorrento makes a great back-drop for a wedding. Couples can stay in any Sorrento hotel and will be married by the local registrar in the Town Hall or in the Cloisters of San Francesco, depending on availability.

The Neapolitan Riviera is not renowned for its sandy beaches, but you will still find some (mainly pebbly) along with bathing platforms along the coast. Leonelli, Fortuna and Peter's Beaches are close to the main harbour, Marinella Beach is in the Sant' Agnello district and Alimuri Bay (Meta di Sorrento) provides sand and a safe bathing area. NB. Facilities on the beach normally incur a local charge.

A must see for all visitors to the Neapolitan coast, Pompeii was a great Roman city when it was suddenly devastated by a massive eruption of Mount Vesuvius in August 79AD. You'll see the legendary frozen plaster cast figures of the people mummified by the rushing lava, together with hardly-changed Roman streets, bathhouses and the city's main forum. You can also take tracks that wind up the volcano's slopes, which are now blanketed in lush vineyards and scented citrus groves. At the summit, you can peer into the giant active crater. Best of all though are the awe-inspiring views down over the Bay of Naples and Pompeii itself.

Floating in the south of the Bay of Naples, this exquisitely beautiful island is framed by crystal-clear, azure seas and sheer cliffs. Make sure you see the legendary Blue Grotto, where visitors have to lie in rowing boats to enter the magical, luminous-blue sea-filled cavern, and take a stroll through Capri's bustling Piazza Umberto, with its elegant bars, shops and eateries.